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Who is Seungri? - Seungri is a K-pop star who recently left the world of showbiz. The singer was a member of boy band Big Bang.

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What did he do? - Seungri stands accused of procuring sex workers for business investors, which he denies. But what's the full story?

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The Great Gatsby of Korea - First there's Seungri himself, known as "the Great Gatsby of Korea." He has a luxurious lifestyle and millions of fans, but that could all change now.

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Bad vibes at Burning Sun -

The singer was questioned by police back in February. This came after reports of sexual assault and the use of narcotics at the Burning Sun club in South Korea, where he worked as a PR director.

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Clearing the calendar -

Seungri then canceled all his planned engagements in February, and also called off his expected solo shows in March.

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Sexual bribery - The singer has also been linked to "sexual bribery," providing prostitutes to potential investors in Yuri Holdings, which is the company that manages Seungri's businesses.

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Secret group chat - Seungri is accused of hiring sex workers for his clients through KakaoTalk, a group chat app which features a secret group chat.

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Messages - The group chat features messages which seem to show Seungri asking a staff member to make the illegal arrangements.

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Jung Joon-young -

Another group chat allegedly features inappropriate videos, which were secretly filmed by Jung Joon-young (pictured), another K-pop star.

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The alleged victims - SBS, a Korean broadcaster, has reported that ten women were filmed in the chat.

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Calls for quits - Last week, a petition calling for Seungri's departure from Big Bang made the rounds online.

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In his defense -

The singer has defended himself, saying "I cannot stand the fact that I'm harming others for my own sake."

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Leaving Big Bang - Seungri added that he "has decided to retire because the controversy has become so big."

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Economic impact -

The controversy has had big consequences for Seungri, as well as the companies that support him. Shares in Seungri's talent agency plummeted by 15.6% on March 11.

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Past controversies - Seungri is the first member to leave the group, but this isn't the first controversy that has surrounded the members of Big Bang. 

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G-Dragon gets investigated - Back in 2011, front man G-Dragon was investigated after smoking marijuana, a serious offense in South Korea.

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All clear - However, he was released without charge, and has kept up a squeaky-clean image ever since.

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The trial of T.O.P. - Member T.O.P. did not get the same treatment. The singer and rapper was given a 10-month prison sentence for using marijuana in 2017.

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The trial of T.O.P. - Before the announcement, T.O.P. was found unconscious in a police barracks due to overdosing on benzos, an anti-anxiety medicine.

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The trial of T.O.P. - T.O.P, real name Choi Seung-hyun, survived the overdose. However, many other South Korean stars have had their young careers cut short.

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Kim Jong-hyun - Also known as Jonghyun, this K-pop star was the main vocalist of boy band Shinee for nine years.

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Kim Jong-hyun - On December 18, 2017, Jonghyun committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. He died aged 27.

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Go Eun-bi -

These days, girl group Ladies' Code is made up of Ashley, Sojung, and Zuny. Ashley is the only original member, after a tragic car accident claimed the lives of her fellow group members in 2014.

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Go Eun-bi -

Go Eun-bi (pictured) was one of the two fatalities in the crash. She was declared dead on arrival by the time she reached a hospital.

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Kwon Rise -

Kwon Rise was another victim of the deadly crash. While EunB was pronounced dead on arrival, Rise underwent emergency brain surgery.

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Kwon Rise -

Unfortunately, Rise didn't survive the recovery, and she died at the age of 23.

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Kim Daul - Kim Daul wasn't a musician, but was widely-known in the scene, being close friends with "King of K-pop" G-Dragon.

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Kim Daul - The model and artist hung herself in Paris, after a long and open battle with depression.

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Choi Jin-sil - Once nicknamed "The Nation’s Actress," Choi Jin-sil starred in 18 movies, and won the Grand Bell Award for Best Actress in 1995.

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Choi Jin-sil - The popular star committed suicide by hanging at her home in Seoul. She was 39 years old.

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